San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-10-27
The wonderous Progress on the Pacific
Coast.
Los ANGELES, CAL. Oct. 10.

Coast.
Los ANGELES, CAL, Oct. 10.
Ed. FREE PREss I'm letter this
summer from San Francisco, we as
serted that the entire Pacific coast
from Mexico to British Columbia was
being wonderfully developed, new
steamship lines established and rail
roads built; while at no time in the
history OF Minnesota and the North
west has immigration been 30 great
as this coast is now receiving.
In order to better understand the
phenomenaligrowth of Southern Cal
ifornia, you must take an extended
view Of the matter, and you will read
lily see that the eyes Of the whole
country are turned IN this direction.
That the whole coast in general and
Southern California in particular is
booming.
The object Of this letter is to note
the general improvements Of the en-
tire coast, so that parties seeking
new homes will not be made to be-
lieve that Southern California is the
only place deserving Of notice. 1t is
decidedly the best location, but by no
means the only one.
Let us first make a note OF the
steamship changes, beginning with
the Canadian Pacific line.
This line has been established only
a few months, and plies between Port
Moody, the western terminus OF the
Canadian Pacific railway, and the
Orient. This line of steamers and
also the Canadian Pacific railway
have been subsidized by the English
Government, which enables them to
carry goods and passengers at very
low rate. Not being subject to the
provisions of the Interstate COM
MERGE law, they ship goods in bond
in its own steamers from San Fran
cisco to Port Moody, thence across
the Continent ny rail to all Eastern
points in the United States and Cam
ada, making a reduction in freight
and passenger tariffs of so per cent.
Even though owned and controlled
by English capital, this line is of in
estimable value to the people of this
coast, because it serves to hold in
check the ans-continental roads of
the United States. 1t enters no
pools.
A new line of steamers hns just
been established between San Fran.
cisco and Japan, China and Austria
liza. It is controlled by the Marquis
del Campo, Spaniard of immense
wealth, who has obtained subsidies
and Government contracts from Mex
leo and Spain. One branch of the
line will ply between San francisco
and New York via Isthmus of Pana-
ma, thus proving a formidable and
bitter rival of that-old time monopoly,
the Pacific Mail. It has compelled
the latter line not only to increase its
steamers but also improve it's service
and reduce its rates-another bless
ing due to competition.
First class cabin fare from Califor-
MIA to New York by way of Panama
has been reduced to $50. When you
consider that it takes a month to
make the trip, it is about as cheap to
travel by this line as it is to live at
the average boarding house in Los
But by far the best sign of a
healthy increase of business is evil
denced by the fact that the Coast
Steamship Company has recently
doubled it's service. Its steamers
ply along our whole coast, from
Lower California to Alaska.
En- passant, we will say that COM
merce has increased ten fold during
the past year between Alaska and the
United States. A great many capt.
talists and merchants of San Fran
cisco and Portland have private
schooners engaged in the several
branches of Alaskan trade.
One year ago only monthly trips
could be made to the Orient, to Alas
ka and to Panama; and weekly trips
up and down the coast from Puget
Sound to San Diego, California. Now
the service of the above lines has
been more than doubled, besides the
of several new lines.
All this is but the legitimate out
growth of business. These steamers
simply form connections with the
various lines of railway and certainly
speaks volumes for the rapid increase